The
Commission Committee of the European Union (EU) has voted unanimously
to revoke a ban on the importation of Alphonso mangoes that was
slapped on India in 2014 on account of sub-standard quality. All
shipments of the fruit from India to the EU were suspended in May
2014 after inspection officials found fruitflies in a number of
consignments.

Speaking
about the development, Britain’s minister for natural environment,
Lord de Mauley, said that the decision to revoke the ban is
reflective of the many improvements that India has brought about to
its export system. He also added that it is imperative for India to
uphold these quality benchmarks to keep trade between the two
countries on the smooth track. Mauley said that it was also equally
important to keep the health of consumers in Britain in mind.

Officials
close to the development said that the EU would resume imports from
India in about a month, after the EU adopts the new legislation
formally, and the European Commission publishes it.

While
this development brought much cheer for the mango trade committee in
India, the same cannot be said about exporters dealing in four other
banned products – bitter gourds, patra leaves, aubergines, and
snake gourds. The imports of these vegetables continue to face a ban
on account of sub-standard pest control standards, added de Mauley.

Sanjay
Pansare, the director of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee,
based in New Mumbai, said that the development marks good news for
traders of Alphonso mangoes in India, especially after the ban caused
losses to a number of exporters in the country last year.

As
for the other vegetables that are still barred from being exported
from India to the EU, officials from the latter said that they would
review the possibility of revoking the ban only after they have
enough evidence of the safety and pest-control standards. After the
UK, the markets of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany are among
the important ones for fruit and vegetable exporters from India.